My trials and travails researching my mother's family history in West Cork.
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Saturday, February 20, 2010

So I devoted roughly 50-60 hours reading all those birth films I ordered. In the process, I discovered two siblings of Ellen McCarthy - Catherine and Julia.

At that point I felt like I had enough information for Skibbereen Heritage, and sent Skibb a research request. The first week, Margaret found yet two more girls - Hanora and Mary - in addition to Ellen, Catherine, and Julia. They were in the Roman Catholic parish of Caheragh. She was not able to find Margaret or a parental marriage record.

I asked Aunt Peg about it, and she thought Mary McCarthy the mother was one of the McCarthy "masters" who were schoolteachers, and she thought they were from Drinagh. So I told Margaret "try Drinagh."

A week later Margaret did indeed report that she found Margaret and another sister Bridget in Kilmore, plus a marriage record for Cornelius and Mary. This all happened in the RC Parish of Drimoleague and Drinagh.

So there were seven sisters as far as we know. That certainly fulfills the folklore that there were "many sisters."

In addition, I discovered a McCarthy schoolteacher in the 1911 census living in Carrigbaun. Aunt Peg remembers the family vividly. She has mentioned a cousin Bridget McCarthy, whom she and Mom visited in Owenahincha in 1971. That is Daniel's youngest child in the 1911 census. There is also another child Agnes, though she does not appear in either the 1911 or 1901 census. The child Ellen was known as Eileen, married as Daly, and later in life was friends with Aunt Eileen.

In addition, cousin "Jo" from the Hurley side who appeared from out of the blue has been filling me in with many Hurley details. I was able to get baptismal records of all the Hurleys from Skibbereen Heritage Centre. I also got the John Hurley - Margaret Hourihane marriage record from GRO.

On looking over the Hurley chart, Aunt Peg recalled a "Mrs. Tomalin" from her childhood who visited the Collins family and left the children a wonderful construction set toy as a gift. Mrs. Tomalin was Grandmom's aunt Mary Hurley.

So ... it really pays to go fishing through the LDS birth films and cast your net wide. You never know just what treasure you will haul in.